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Books and brews: a last-minute shopping guide for beer lovers

Looking for some last-minute gift ideas for the beer lover in your life? Look no more, we’ve got you covered.

Whether it’s beer books, beer classes or, you know, beer, here are some things you can slip into stockings or under the tree this weekend. (Heck, some of them would even fit nicely on the dinner table.)

This elegant, powerful brew is equally at home as a gift under the tree, or at the dinner table. (Handout photo)

Have some class: Know someone who wants to learn more about beer? Give them the gift of knowledge by enrolling them in a six-week George Brown class taught by beer author and sometime brewer Jordan St. John. The course runs the gamut of beer knowledge, from ingredients to history and a look at different beer styles. Sign up online or by calling 416-416-5000, ext. 2517. Enrolment costs $276, and includes supplies for, er, sensory evaluation (yup, that’s what the pros call drinking in class).

Jordan St. John shows his enthusiasm for sharing his beer knowledge. You can catch some it yourself by taking his George Brown course. (Handout photo)

Read all about it: It’s the time of year to sit by a fire, reading a good book and sipping something potent and warming. There’s probably someone on your gift-shopping list who’d prefer to be reading about beer. Here are some of the more intriguing beer books to come out this year:

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If there’s only one beer book you buy this year, it should be this one. Miracle Brew (Chelsea Green Publishing, $27.95) is a compelling look at beer’s ingredients and their history, from award-winning British beer writer Pete Brown. He travels from Germany to England and Oregon, among other places, seeking the history and secrets of barley, hops, yeast and, yes, even water.

If you can only buy one beer book this year, make it this one. (Handout photo)

Keeping track of all the beer released in a province or country — let alone the world — is an almost impossible task. You could try on your own, but your doctor and wallet might quibble. That’s why it’s best to find a guide whose palate you trust. Best Beers (Octopus Publishing, $16.99) has two of them: Toronto-based beer author and consultant Stephen Beaumont and U.S. beer expert Tim Webb. Together, they’ve combed through the world’s brews and come up with 2,000 to recommend. There are tasting notes, a look at the breweries that produce the top beers and sections on beer history and brewing methods.

Another very good book to have on your shelf is East Coast Crafted (Nimbus Publishing, $39.95). Available at fine book stores (and at online retailers), this book is the product of beer writer and editor Whitey Moran and Christopher Reynolds, co-owner of Halifax’s Stillwell Beer Bar, one of the best places on the entire east coast to sip a good pint.

There are brewery listings, interviews with brewers, gorgeous photos and even some suggested routes for touring. The only danger with this one is that it just might inspire you to head down east and explore Atlantic Canada’s burgeoning craft beer scene.

Drink up: Whether you’re slipping it into someone’s stocking, putting it on the holiday dinner table or wrapping it up and putting it under the tree, the beer on your list should be something special. Or at least be fun. These ones all fit the bill.

Where the Buffalo Roam (LCBO: $6.95) is a world champion, from Oakville’s own Cameron’s Brewing. This rich, strong barley wine (a potent style of ale originating in England) has been aged in former bourbon barrels. There are notes of dried fruit, caramel, vanilla and, yes, bourbon. At 13 per cent, it’s really something that’s better off shared. And aren’t the holidays all about sharing? It took home first prize in the pale barley wine category at the World Beer Awards, a global competition based in Norwich, England. (I was fortunate enough to be one of the judges this year. There was no favouritism here: The beers were all tasted blind). It also was named world’s best pale beer, where it outclassed beers in 18 other categories, including IPAs, double IPAs and Belgian-style pale beers. It goes wonderfully well with very well-aged cheddar, shortbread, or even pan-seared foie gras.

Vanishing Point (LCBO: $14.95) is another masterful strong brew, and is perhaps the best beer yet to come from Scottish barrel-aging specialists Innis and Gunn. The imperial stout (an extra-strong style of stout) is about as smooth and mellow a beer as you’ll find for something this potent (11 per cent, to be precise). Close your eyes and you’ll taste dark chocolate, whiskey-soaked raisins and even a hint of coffee. It’s brilliant with dark chocolate or spice cake. On the more tongue-in-cheek end of things, Innis and Gunn also has a beer made with gold, frankincense and myrrh. Called Frank and Sense (LCBO: $7.95), it actually includes gold flakes, though it tastes a little bit more of marketing than anything else.

The Three Wise Men would've gotten a kick out of this Scottish brew, which includes gold, frankincense and myrrh. (Handout photo)

Barrel-aged Quad (LCBO: $14.75), as it’s not-so-poetically known, is a Belgian-style strong ale that has been — you guessed it — aged in bourbon barrels. This beer is flavourful enough to stand up to the barrel. There are aromas of dried fruit (raisins, cherries and figs), as well as a slightly boozy hit from the barrel aging. This is absolutely magnificent with rack of lamb, venison stew or other wild game. It also comes in an elegant corked bottle that would look equally at home under the tree or on the dinner table. It comes from Kansas-based Boulevard Brewing, which was purchased in 2013 by Belgian brewing giant Duvel-Moortgat.

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